‘Absurd Experiment’ That ‘Mangled’ Australian Golf Open Set to Be Shelved for 2025

The Australian Open will return to hosting distinct events for male and female competitors following three years of combined tournaments.

In a recent announcement, Golf Australia confirmed that this change will take effect from 2025. The men’s tournament is anticipated to keep its traditional schedule in late November or early December, while the women’s event will revert to its previous March timeframe, but this will not occur until 2026.

This decision follows criticism from several players, both men and women, regarding the mixed format, including former World No.1 Cameron Smith.

During last year’s event, which took place between Kingston Heath and Victoria Golf Clubs, Smith voiced his frustration about the course conditions, noting that it played unexpectedly slow and soft.

While organisers attributed the issues to rain prior to the tournament, Smith dismissed this reasoning, calling it a “ridiculous excuse” and implying that the course had been prepared this way to benefit the female competitors.

“I’ve played here at Kingston Heath during the Aussie Masters… where I could allow 25-30 metres of roll with a pitching wedge, which was significant,” Smith commented.

“Generally, around the world, you aim to reduce spin and prevent it from spinning back too much. However, at a venue like this, which is meant to play in a particular way, you need to create spin and execute shots to get close to the pins, which is what enthusiasts truly appreciate.”

“The weather conditions over the past couple of weeks have been relatively good; I understand there was some rain over the weekend and again this morning, but I’ve played here before in rainy conditions, and it remained in play the following day.”

“So, I think that’s a ludicrous excuse, quite frankly. It feels like the course was prepared this way deliberately, and it does not reflect how these golf courses should ideally be played.”

The tournaments, along with the All-Abilities championship, have run concurrently since 2022 amid concerns regarding the sustainability of a standalone women’s tournament in the wake of the pandemic.

Contestants in both tournaments played on the same course in alternating groups from different tees. Due to the large number of participants, the opening rounds were held on separate, though nearby, courses, with the players converging on one location for the weekend after the cut.

Former world No.51 Marcus Fraser remarked that separating the tournaments is a wise move, though he noted it would take time for top global golfers to make their return to Australia.

“I think everyone’s going to be absolutely delighted,” Fraser told the ABC on Saturday.

“Changing the format was likely something they needed to test, but to do that with the Australian Open was rather absurd.”

“Unfortunately, they’ve damaged the integrity of that event, and it will take considerable effort to restore it to its former glory.”

“A lot of harm has been done to that tournament; it’s become somewhat of a laughing stock.”

“It’s disappointing that they chose to use it as a test case.”

In a statement, Golf Australia’s CEO James Sutherland explained that the decision arose during the annual review of the event, and he expressed confidence that both national open championships would thrive independently.

“We take pride in what we’ve accomplished over the past three years with the mixed-gender Australian Opens and the All-Abilities championship,” he stated.

“With record audiences and crowd turnout, there’s much to be proud of.”

“Our long-term strategy focuses on elevating the profile of our tournaments and displaying the game at the highest level.”

“This change aligns with our strategy and will provide flexibility to better navigate the ever-evolving landscape of global golf.”

“We look forward to ongoing constructive discussions with essential partners and stakeholders regarding the location and other significant aspects of future national opens.”

The location for the 2025 event has yet to be determined but is anticipated to remain within the Victorian sandbelt.